Low prevalence of human papillomavirus in a geographic region with a high incidence of head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND: The main purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in patients with head and neck carcinomas from Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were included in the study, from 1995 to 1996. Forty-two were male and 3 female, with age ranging from 32 to 82 years (median 61). Five patients (11%) did not have previous history of use of tobacco and 38 (90.5%) were heavy smokers. Tumor sites were pyriform sinus, 10; tongue, 11 (oral, 6; base, 5); larynx, 7; floor of mouth, 3; tonsil, 6; retromolar area, 3; inferior gingiva 2; buccal mucosa, 2; and maxillary sinus in 1 patient. Twenty-five were stage IV, 17 stage III, and 3 stage II. RESULTS: The presence of HPV DNA was detected in 5 of 45 patients (11%), all of them with HPV 16. Two patients had HPV DNA in normal mucosa and tumor tissue, 1 patient had HPV DNA only in the normal mucosa and tumor tissue, 1 patient had HPV DNA only in the normal mucosa, and 2 patients were positive for HPV DNA in tumor tissue. Four patients were male and 1 was female; 2 patients were nonsmokers. Three patients had tonsil carcinoma, 1 patient had a tongue carcinoma, and 1 patient had a pyriform sinus cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The role of chemical carcinogens seems to be more important in the genesis of head and neck cancer than is HPV infection. The presence of HPV DNA in 5 of 45 patients stimulates further investigation to determine the role of HPV as a risk factor for head and neck carcinoma.     

Selecting CRM packages based on architectural,functional, and cost requirements: Empirical validation of a hierarchical ranking model

This study describes a hierarchical ranking model to help the selection of CRM (customer relationship management) packages based on their functional and technical quality. The model is tested empirically by applying the hierarchical analytical process (AHP) to a sample of 42 CRM packages. Results indicate how functionally similar packages can differ substantially in their technical quality and, thus, in their ability to be integrated within a companys information system. The hierarchical model is verified to be dependable, since the quality-based ranking of packages is found to have a low rank-reversal probability as a consequence of managers uncertainty in weighing the relevance of different quality variables. From a practical standpoint, these results confirm that CRM packages differentiate in measurable quality variables, which can be used by practitioners as a framework to gather and evaluate software-selection information during feasibility analyses.     

Decoding two-dimensional complex multicomponent separations by autocovariance function

A new method for decoding two-dimensional (2D) multicomponent separations based on the use of the 2D Autocovariance function (2D-ACVF) has been developed. Theoretical models of single component (SC) spot distributions in 2D separations, both random and structured, are developed as the basis for a nonlinear estimation of both sample and separation system parameters from experimental 2D separations. The number of SCs, the average spot size, the spot capacity, and the saturation factor can be evaluated in the case of random SC spot patterns. The procedure was validated by extensive numerical simulation under conditions close to those usually found in GC x GC or 2D-polyacrylamid gel electrophoresis of proteins. The worse precision degree was no greater than 10% in the case of maximum spot density. This imprecision was fully accounted for, and it seems acceptable owing to the intrinsic statistical character of the estimation method. Structured multicomponent 2D separations, where SCs are linked by linear relationships, give rise to specific structured patterns in 2D-ACVF plots from which the parameters (phase and frequency) of the structured SC sequences can be evaluated: the study of 2D-ACVF makes it possible to decode multicomponent 2D separation, that is, to determine the number, relative abundance, and structural similarities of the single components. Pertinent expressions of the theoretical 2D-ACVF were derived for simple cases, and a procedure for decoding cases of structured 2D separations was developed and applied. It was shown that 2D separations containing both random and structured patterns of SC spots give rise to 2D-EACVF, which is the superimposition of the two component parts. This feature allows one, in principle, to decode the two components. The relevance of these results for Giddings sample dimensionality and separation dimensionality and their effective experimental evaluation is discussed.     

Variable-gradient generator for micro- and nano-HPLC

A new, simple device generates accurate nano- and microflow rate gradients from any conventional HPLC system. The core of the new device is represented by an electric-actuated, computer-controlled, multiposition HPLC valve. The valve hosts six reservoirs for as many different mobile-phase compositions of increasing strength. A low flow rate stream pushes the weakest solvent through the column as long as required and at the desired flow rate, until the chromatographic run is started. From this time on, the electric actuation allows one to select which reservoir will be on-line with the column and for how long, thus generating a specific solvent gradient, through a sequence of controlled segments of precise mobile-phase composition. This permits one not only to exactly reproduce the programmed slope but also to achieve different gradient shapes (i.e., linear, convex, concave) for different separation needs. The new device has proven to be reliable and reproducible even at the lowest flow rate tested (250 nL x min(-1)) and in different chromatographic conditions.     

Poly(vinyl alcohol) as versatile biomaterial for potential biomedical applications

In this paper, we present some new case examples where the chemical versatility of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) can be used for potential biomedical applications. PVA, the polymeric material used for designing new nanostructured devices, is water soluble, biocompatible and has excellent physical properties. We point out the possibility of obtaining wall-to-wall chemical hydrogels as well as microgels without diminishing the biocompatibility available in the starting PVA material. Injectability is another important factor to take into account in controlled drug delivery for gene therapy. In this respect, in this paper, established and more innovative methods are prospected in order to obtain particles with dimensions suitable for these applications.     

A cyclic CCK8 analogue selective for the cholecystokinin type A receptor: design, synthesis, NMR structure and binding measurements

A cyclic CCK8 analogue, cyclo(29,34)[Dpr(29),Lys(34)]-CCK8 (Dpr=L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid), has been designed on the basis of the NMR structure of the bimolecular complex between the N-terminal fragment of the CCK(A) receptor and its natural ligand CCK8. The conformational features of cyclo(29,34)[Dpr(29),Lys(34)]-CCK8 have been determined by NMR spectroscopy in aqueous solution and in water containing DPC-d(38) micelles (DPC=dodecylphosphocholine). The structure of the cyclic peptide in aqueous solution is found to be in a relaxed conformation, with the backbone and Dpr29 side chain atoms making a planar ring and the N-terminal tripeptide extending approximately along the plane of this ring. In DPC/water, the cyclic peptide adopts a "boat-shaped" conformation, which is more compact than that found in aqueous solution. The cyclic constraint between the Dpr29 side chain and the CCK8 carboxyl terminus (Lys34) introduces a restriction in the backbone conformational freedom. However, the interaction of cyclo(29,34)[Dpr(29),Lys(34)]-CCK8 with the micelles still plays an important role in the stabilisation of the bioactive conformation. A careful comparison of the NMR structure of the cyclic peptide in a DPC micelle aqueous solution with the structure of the rationally designed model underlines that the turn-like conformation in the Trp30-Met31 region is preserved, such that the Trp30 and Met31 side chains can adopt the proper spatial orientation to interact with the CCK(A) receptor. The binding properties of cyclo(29,34)[Dpr(29),Lys(34)]-CCK8 to the N-terminal receptor fragment have been investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy in a micellar environment. Estimates of the apparent dissociation constant, K(d), were in the range of 70-150 nM, with a mean value of 120+/-27 nM. Preliminary nuclear medicine studies on cell lines transfected with the CCK(A) receptor indicate that the sulfated-Tyr derivative of cyclo(29,34)[Dpr(29),Lys(34)]-CCK8 displaces the natural ligand with an IC(50) value of 15 microM.     

How you move reveals who you are: understanding human behavior by analyzing trajectory data

The widespread use of mobile devices is producing a huge amount of trajectory data, making the discovery of movement patterns possible, which are crucial for understanding human behavior. Significant advances have been made with regard to knowledge discovery, but the process now needs to be extended bearing in mind the emerging field of behavior informatics. This paper describes the formalization of a semantic-enriched KDD process for supporting meaningful pattern interpretations of human behavior. Our approach is based on the integration of inductive reasoning (movement pattern discovery) and deductive reasoning (human behavior inference). We describe the implemented Athena system, which supports such a process, along with the experimental results on two different application domains related to traffic and recreation management.     

Mapping Hurricane Katrina's widespread destruction in New Orleans using multisensor data and the normalized difference change detection (NDCD) technique

This paper introduces a new and general method for change detection based on the normalized difference change detection (NDCD) technique. A case study shows the use of the NDCD technique for flood mapping. Flood maps for the city of New Orleans (Louisiana, USA) resulting from the passage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were produced from the data processing of Satellite Pour l‘Observation de la Terre (SPOT)-4 High-Resolution Visible Infra-Red (HRVIR) and Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) images and the accuracies of the maps were verified using as ground truth the flood extension map of the city of New Orleans produced at the Dartmouth Flood Observatory (Dartmouth College, USA). The potentialities and performances of the NDCD technique in flood mapping were also compared to other standard change detection methods such as: (i) the near-infrared (NIR) normalized difference, (ii) unsupervised post-classification comparison, (iii) change vector analysis (CVA) and (iv) spectral–temporal minimum noise fraction (STMNF) transformation. When using the SPOT-4 HRVIR data, the NDCD technique led to better results than the other change detection methods considered here, while for the Landsat-5 TM data processing the closeness of the post-flood image to the Katrina landfall influenced the overall performances negatively. However, with respect to flood mapping in the urban area alone, which may be of major interest in most cases, the NDCD technique also performed better than all the other change detection methods considered here when using the Landsat-5 TM data.     

Design and evaluation of an ambient assisted living system based on an argumentative multi-agent system

This paper focuses on ambient assisted living systems employed to monitor the ongoing situations of elderly people living independently. Such situations are represented here as contexts inferred by multiple software agents out of the data gathered from sensors within a home. Sensors can give an incomplete, sometimes ambiguous, picture of the world; hence, they often lead to inconsistent contexts and unreliability on the system as a whole. We report on a solution to this problem based on a multi-agent system where each agent is able to support its understanding of the context through arguments. These arguments can then be compared against each other to determine which agent provides the most reliable interpretation of the reality under observation.     

Microstructural characterization and in vitro bioactivity of porous glass-ceramic scaffolds for bone regeneration by synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography

One of the key purposes of bone tissue engineering is the development of new biomaterials that can stimulate the body's own regenerative mechanism for patient's anatomical and functional recovery. Bioactive glasses, due to their versatile properties, are excellent candidates to fabricate porous 3-D architectures for bone replacement. In this work, morphological and structural investigations are carried out on Bioglass^®- and CEL2-derived scaffolds produced by sponge replication (CEL2 is an experimental glass developed at Politecnico di Torino). Synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography is used to study the samples 3-D architecture, pores size, shape, distribution and interconnectivity, as well as the growth kinetics on scaffolds struts of a newly formed apatitic phase during in vitro treatment in simulated body fluid, in order to describe from a quantitative viewpoint the bioactive potential of the analyzed biomaterials. An accurate comparison between architectural features and bioactive behaviour of Bioglass^®- and CEL2-derived scaffolds is presented and discussed.